HOW do you get the weather to change for the better? Create a marsh!
Bere Ferrers villagers spent one Friday recently digging out a horseshoe-shaped area at the bottom of the Recreation Field to create a marsh. The hole was lined with carpet donated by residents, a polythene liner was laid, earth put on top and the area planted with meadowsweet, irises, marsh marigold, water mint and water forget-me-not.
Diana Mitchell, a member of Bere Ferrers Villagers' Group, which organised and funded the project, said it had been raining all winter, so that part of the field had almost resembled a marsh for most of that time. All that was needed was a heavy shower to start the marsh off.
So the sun shone . . . and shone . . . and shone! Diana had to transport water to the area to keep the plants alive. The recent showers have come as a welcome relief, but there are plans to set up a working party to keep the area wet if the fine weather continues.
Martin Summers is consultant for the project and the Tavistock Conservation Group has contributed help. The area in the middle of the appropriately named Horseshoe Marsh will be managed to form a viewing area and possibly paving stones and a seat provided. The bird hide beside the marsh was built from willow last year and is now going nicely green.
Diana said: 'The next phase will be to plant willow between the hide and the marsh, shrubs on the slopes and a copse of small trees behind the marsh in the autumn. We hope the area will become an attractive wildlife oasis.'
In the meantime, if anyone has any wild water-loving plants they would like to donate Diana can be contacted on 01822 841086.'